By Nava Thakuria*
Guwahati: Press Club of Assam (PCA), while expressing serious concern over the ongoing debates over illegal payments by the coal mafia to a section of media houses and scribes based in Guwahati and Silchar, today demanded a high level probe to investigate the matter. Urging State chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal, the duly registered press club pointed out that the enquiry becomes necessary for maintaining the image of mainstream media and also the government in Dispur.
It may be mentioned that sensation prevails in the region after an unauthenticated list of media houses and concerned individuals terming as involved in illegal tax collections in tune of crores of rupees from the coal carrying truckers. The list went viral on social media and the issue has also been extensively reported by many media outlets inside and outside the region.
The list, understandably prepared on October 21, 2020, narrates monthly contributions (read protection amount) to several satellite news channels, acclaimed news papers of Assam. It also included names of a few individuals relating to news channels and a press organization along with Cachar police, Karimganj police (in Assam) and Meghalaya police personnel.
Meanwhile, members of various organizations like Journalists’ Forum Assam, Hailakandi Press Club, Karimganj Press Club, etc expressed serious concern over the exposure of the payment-list. They insisted on clarifying the matter effectively by the mainstream media arguing that the media houses and persons concerned (mentioned in the list) should clarify their stand for the sake of State media image.
“We demand the government to declare a probe into the coal mafia-media nexus urgently to find the truth,” said a statement issued by PCA president Kailash Sarma and general secretary Hiren Chandra Kalita, adding that it would help both the State based media fraternity and the Sonowal-led government which routinely claims to maintain the policy of zero-tolerance to corruption.
*The writer is the working president of PCA
